Visit the Pacific northwest wonderland… Travel by train, created in 1925 by the artist brothers Kenneth and William Willmarth, presents the American Northwest as a landscape of almost theatrical abundance. Two brightly dressed travellers stand before an immense prospect of evergreen forest, winding water, settlement and snow-capped mountains. Warm orange runs through the sky and river, while cool blues and greens shape the receding terrain, giving the poster an unusually vivid balance of heat and alpine freshness.

Working together as The Willmarths, the brothers belonged to an era in which railway advertising sold not merely a route but an imaginative encounter with place. During the 1920s, rail companies increasingly promoted the American West through forceful graphic design, presenting modern transport as the gateway to scenery that still carried the romance of exploration. The Willmarths later became associated with Union Pacific commissions, including Yellowstone brochure covers, award-winning posters and, subsequently, resort and wartime publicity. Here, their streamlined approach turns the Pacific Northwest into a concise visual promise: magnificent distances made accessible by train.

A closer look

The composition is constructed in distinct layers. At the left, tall, sharply outlined evergreens rise through the picture, framing the view like a stage curtain. Beyond them, rolling green hills lead towards angular mountain peaks, their snowy faces picked out with pale highlights against a glowing orange sky. The abrupt transitions between flat areas of colour give the landscape clarity at a distance, while the successive bands of trees, hills and mountains create a persuasive sense of depth.

In the central foreground, the two figures provide both scale and a point of identification. Seen from behind, they look out together rather than back towards the spectator: one wears red, the other yellow, their saturated clothing standing crisply against the cooler landscape. Their simplified forms contain little individual detail, allowing them to function as imagined travellers surveying the journey ahead. Far below, a compact group of buildings nestles into the middle ground, dwarfed by the surrounding terrain. It is an effective detail, transforming the panorama from untouched wilderness into a destination within reach.

A broad orange waterway curves through the lower right, echoing the warmth of the sky and drawing the eye inward towards the distant settlement. This unexpected colour makes the river a graphic pathway through the composition rather than a conventionally naturalistic feature. Above, the wording “Visit the Pacific Northwest wonderland…” occupies generous open space in a bold serif typeface. At the foot of the poster, the more decorative “Travel by Train” converts the scenic promise into a direct instruction. Landscape and lettering are carefully separated, yet each reinforces the other.

Context and significance

Travel posters of this period depended upon immediate recognition: they had to command attention in stations and public spaces, often from some distance. The Willmarths answer that demand with broad colour fields, emphatic silhouettes and a clear visual hierarchy. Rather than identifying a single landmark, the design gathers several defining motifs of the Northwest—mountains, conifers, water and far-reaching valleys—into an idealised regional panorama. Its “wonderland” is less a precise topographical record than a concentrated vision of Washington and Oregon as territories of scenic variety.

The result captures the optimism of 1920s rail tourism without losing its sense of grandeur. Human figures, buildings and typography all remain subordinate to the scale of the landscape, yet the final message is one of access rather than remoteness. The poster’s enduring appeal lies in that tension: the Pacific Northwest appears immense and adventurous, while the railway promises that its distant horizons are attainable.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.